Category Archives: food

I initially posted about being chosen to promote Winc Wines here, and since then, have created my account, taken the survey, and received my four wines. The entire process was easy from start to finish.

The Winc website is easy to follow, and the survey questions are designed to help you get the best of your subscription. You can choose 2 white/2 red, or change it to suit your taste. You can get a special offer on your first order from U.S. Family Guide – make sure to get your code here. This website helps you save $22 off your first at: http://www.trywinc.com/usfamilyguide

The four wines they chose for us were perfect! I ordered 2 reds/2 whites, and one the whites was a sparkling white and was the winner of the night. That California sparkling wine was called “Finke’s Widow.” Simply yummy. The two reds were Chop Shop and Tempo Vero. They were smooth, and sweeter than most reds, and perfect for my palate. The white we all loved was a Central Coast California Wine called “Zwicker.” I also had credit and ordered an extra white called “Brethren of the Road” Riesling but because they did not choose it for me, I found this Riesling to be very dry and not sweet. Lesson learned– let them pick the wines for you based on the survey you take at the beginning, because it helps narrow it down and send the best wines for your palate.

All in all, I was impressed how quick the wines were shipped, and delivery, although they said I needed to sign for it, and I did not, so don’t get alarm by the FedEx E-mail. And I did not have to go out to shop for wines that would suit my palate and dishes we cook – it came right to my door! The prices at Winc are very reasonable and shipping is free if you do your monthly delivery of 4 wines. It’s a great deal and I enjoyed the four wines picked for me. You can cancel Winc subscription at any time.

Don’t forget to enter your promo code for $22 of your first month, my readers simply go to: http://www.trywinc.com/usfamilyguide and get started on a fun flavor adventure! Cheers to you all!

Winc is not your traditional wine club. They are a direct-distribution global wine company that personalizes the entire wine experience – they are perfecting how wine is made, distributed, perceived and purchased via their Palate Profile quiz that recommends wine based on your unique tastes. It caters to a new generation of wine drinkers. It takes the hassle and guesswork out of picking a bottle from your local liquor store and delivers the perfect bottle directly to your doorstep.

Winc does all this as part of their quest to improve the experience for consumers, create a platform for artisanal winemaking, and build a grape-to-glass supply chain that’s sustainable for the planet. No more intimidating language and steep price points, and more joy in the act of sharing a bottle.

If you enjoyed Fondue Fairytales, Superhero Sundays and fun-due Scarytales, then don’t miss out on Elf Training Camp at the Melting Pot, Littleton, Colorado! Saturdays and Sundays (Dec 3, 4, 10, 11, 17th and 18th) are for fondue fun with the whole family. Enjoy food, drink and elf-themed training, and you can meet Santa’s head elf!

The melting pot is a great experience for kids and you can put those etiquette or cotillion classes into practice. Hold on to your skewer, this is the only place adults and children can indeed double dip, love every minute of it, and no one will complain. Adults pay $45, and children ages 4-12 are $25, with kids 3 and under free – this price includes the fun and food. Reservations are required and space is limited, so call 303-794-5666 to reserve your spot, and dip, dip, dip away! With four courses, each elf in your family, and the parents will leave here full and ready for holiday shopping. The entire four-course meal and fun took about 2.5 hours, so be ready for some food and fun for the kids. It’s so well-organized and paced just perfectly.

Finally, please remember to dress in layers as the activities are in the tents outside, but honestly, it was so warm in there with the heaters, we were all comfortable and toasty. As you can see from the pictures, the kids had a great time, and it was nice to spend some uninterrupted time with them… okay, the elf interrupted a lot with a ton of activities for them but we thought it was good to keep the restless little ones busy and working. All in all, kids and parents were super happy.

Disclaimer: My family and I were compensated in exchange for posts/social media coverage of this event. We were compensated with free fondue for all of us. The views expressed here are my own. NOTE: This post was delayed due to a family/life emergency.

My husband and I tried Dream Dinners, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, this weekend, and what a treat! Their March introductory offer ($74.95 value) let us pick six 3-serving meals from an expansive menu. Then, we made an appointment to go into the kitchen and assemble all six meals. The kitchen is very organized, clean, and all the ingredients are chopped, measured and ready for you to build and take home, freeze or eat right away. You go from station to station to assemble your meals. The proprietary recipe cards at each station guide you through the process and it’s quite simple to assemble.

Travis helped us at the Wheat Ridge location. He is such a delight to work with and learn from. You use bags or containers, and all items come with a step by step recipe card so when you get home and choose a meal, you are ready to go! No chopping, no buying of ingredients, no extensive prep time. You follow very simple directions to heat up/top or cook the food, and you’re serving up dinner in no time! This is perfect for family meals or for just two. The introductory offer is definitely worth a shot, and I encourage you to set up your appointment on line or call them. The staff is super friendly and helpful and on-site with you the entire time. You are offered a drink of coffee, tea, or other beverages, and we got to sample a scone 1030 am on a Saturday – it was delish! My husband was able to sample chicken risotto which is being offered on their April menu and loved it!

The kitchen has clean bowls, measuring bowls, and utencils throughout your preparation journey, and the instructions are so simple to follow, even color-coded. It’s super easy – we were in and out in an hour and that was including someone teaching us, and speaking with us about the offers. I also picked up sides from their sides and dessert freezer case, and we enjoyed potato pancakes and a dip for lunch. Yum! Tonight, my husband and kiddos are having cornflake crusted chicken tenders and a side of mashed potatoes (also from Dream Dinners), while I enjoy Risotto (a side dish). The vegetarian choices are slim to none here, but Travis told us that if you choose to leave out the protein on a 3-serving meal, you save 50% on that dish, which is a great deal.Then, you can pick the protein of choice at home and assemble the meal at home, and still save time and money. For example, April’s menu includes a Creamy Chicken Risotto, and this item can be assembled without the protein, or the risotto can be made without the chicken or chicken packaged separately from the Risotto. At home, it can be made vegetarian for both a vegetarian and meat-eater to enjoy. My favorite was the side dishes because those for me are things the kids eat like mashed potatoes, potato pancakes, fries and garlic bread sticks. They complement all the meals you prepare at Dream Dinners, or can complement a dish you make at home. My husband prepared the cornflake crusted chicken tenders tonight and the house smells lovely! He loved the meal and said the flavors were perfect.

cornflake crusted chicken tenders

The only cons for me of this place was menu selection for a vegetarian, but if you eat meat and your family is not picky, this place is for you! Also, even if you are cooking for just two or three, I think the portions are perfect for one night and a left over for lunch the next day. With 3-servings, it goes a long way in our house. The minimum order after the introductory offer(six 3-serving meals) is twelve 3-serving meals, so it may best to split with a good friend if you are interested and cannot possibly maintain 3-4 meals a week on this. Partnering up with friends is a good idea. You can skip a month if you want or are out of town, and there is no contract or obligation. The best thing is about how long they will keep because they are packaged for freezing so you can thaw or take out when you are ready for them. All the instructions are different so follow the cards’ instructions carefully. Also, like Steve points out in the comments, this place is kid-friendly and if kids are into cooking, or mature enough to be involved in the kitchen, this place is perfect to bring him or her along to help you portion out the recipe, assemble the meal and add the ingredients of their choice. Who knows? If they take part in the assembly, they may actually eat it? What a concept!

One of the things I learned about Dream Dinners is that they do school fundraisers and give a size-able donation per family – each attendee pays $34.99 for THREE 3-serving meals of their choice and $10 of this goes to the school – that is 30% back of the school! What a great idea and you get healthy, fresh meals that the family can get 6 meals or more out of – what a deal!

My husband and I enjoyed our dream dinners experience and I would highly recommend you try the introductory offer. After that, you can figure out how to sign up because for us, twelve 3-serving meals is a lot considering how differently we all eat in our family, but if we can split it with a family, or two, I think it could work out. Also, make some room in your freezer because you are gonna need it. Dream Dinners has the four Colorado locations to choose from so you can go an try out their introductory offer. Also, if you are not in Colorado and you’d like to go in and try your Dream Dinners, you can see if there is one near you. Happy cooking and eating!

Giveaway: To enter to win, please comment below with what you’d do with one free 3-serving meal from Dream Dinners? Make sure you include your name and email when you comment- only I see your email. For this event, you can bring up to 9 friends (10 total including you) to build a meal and learn more about Dream Dinners while you enjoy provided appetizers, non-alcoholic drinks, and the opportunity to catch up with friends or colleagues. Also, for an additional $24.95 (normally $50 value), you can take three additional 3-serving meals home with you, ready to thaw and/or cook. The night out is a great deal and worth over $130 (depending on dish) and it’s yours for free. Just sign up and I randomly choose a winner using a plug in on wordpress. Finally, I hope you will invite me along as one of your party of 10. 🙂 You will be notified by3/19/2016 if you win and winner posted here. Comments/entries close at 8pm MDT 3/19/2016. *Note: Contest only applies to Wheat Ridge, Colorado location

NOTE: We have a winner! Congrats, Heather – I will connect you with Dream Dinners & write you separately.

Your Winner

Required Disclosure: I was offered a free introductory offer from Dream Dinners in exchange for a honest review. The giveaway is also part of the compensation for readers who enter to win. The opinion expressed here are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

On March 1st, Baskin-Robbins, the world’s largest chain of ice cream specialty shops, brought two of America’s most popular treats together to create its new Warm Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches and Sundaes. Additionally, Baskin-Robbins is introducing a new March Flavor of the Month, Cookie Jar Mashup, which features three classic cookies in one amazing scoop.

We went to our nearest location (Wheat Ridge), and I tried both the Cookie Jar Mashup flavor and the new warm cookie ice cream sandwich, and enjoyed both! You can even sandwich the Cookie Jar Mashup flavor in-between two or three of your favorite cookie flavors. The topping options are endless. For the sandwich or Sundae, you can also choose from sprinkles, nuts, almonds, fudge or other topping options.

Mint between chocolate fudge and chocolate chip

The chewy, warmed to order cookie options include Dark Chocolate Chunk, Double Fudge, Peanut Butter Chocolate and White Chunk Macadamia Nut Cookies. You can put any of our favorite 31 flavors of ice cream in the cookie sandwiches, or sundaes. The new Warm Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich and Sundae lineup includes:

Warm Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich: Features a guest’s favorite ice cream flavor sandwiched between their choice of two warmed to order, chewy cookies, topped with rainbow sprinkles, chocolate sprinkles or chopped almonds. Guests can also “Make it a Double” with two scoops of ice cream and three cookies.

Warm Cookie Sundae: Features a guest’s favorite ice cream flavor served with their choice of two warm and chewy cookies, topped with their choice of wet topping, whipped cream, chopped nuts and a cherry. Guests can also “Make it a Double” with two scoops of ice cream and three cookies.

Baskin-Robbins’ March Flavor of the Month, Cookie Jar Mashup, combines OREO®, Chips Ahoy! and Nutter Butter cookie pieces with rich vanilla-flavored ice cream swirled with a chocolate-flavored ribbon. Cookie Jar Mashup is the perfect ice cream flavor for cookie lovers, and can be enjoyed by the scoop in a cup or cone, or as a fitting addition to a Warm Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich or Sundae. Next time you eat dinner, save room for dessert and definitely stop in and enjoy one of these. Even splitting them in half, you will really enjoy these warm/cold delights.

My family and I enjoyed our respective flavors today, and I sampled the Cookie Jar Mashup flavor, and really enjoyed how much flavor it has in each bite. My kids loved their flavor choices too! Go to your nearest Baskin-Robbins, and enjoy a warm cookie or two. And if you are like me, you can either get a sandwich, or enjoy your favorite 31 flavors and take a cookie for the road. I like all my flavors separated out so I can savor each one. However you like it, the options are endless.

NOTE: Baskin-Robbins is a registered trademark and used here for promotional purposes. OREO®, Chips Ahoy! and Nutter Butter are registered trademarks of Mondelēz International group, used under license.

Required Disclosure: I was compensated for this post in return for sharing information about this new promotion, and my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own, and the information is from Baskin-Robbins’ press release. This post contains affiliate marketing links.

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